Meet Our 2019 Supply Chain Pro to Know: Eric Dalby

March 18, 2019

We are extremely proud to celebrate Eric Dalby’s recent recognition as a 2019 Provider to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine. Because of this recognition, we wanted to put Eric in the spotlight and give our customers the opportunity to get to know him.

With nearly 20 years of experience in the global trade arena, with special emphasis on technology and compliance, it is obvious that Eric understands the challenges importers, exporters, brokers and forwarders face daily in navigating the regulatory environment. With previous experience as a licensed Customs broker and certified Customs specialist working for major apparel firms, Eric acquired an in-depth understanding of both Customs’ requirements and the internal processes needed to satisfy them. Leveraging his knowledge, Eric helped lead efforts to automate global trade and transition to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

Here at QuestaWeb, Eric applies his considerable knowledge to our Foreign Trade Zone practice as our Director of Foreign Trade Zone and Global Trade Management Implementations. He assists major corporations in leveraging the economic benefits FTZs confer by designing automated compliance solutions with our advanced, web-native technology. Additionally, Eric is an Accredited Zone Specialist, a designation that is based on meeting the criteria of employment in the FTZ field, involvement at NAFTZ seminars and conferences, and active participation both in the NAFTZ community and FTZ field.

In addition to his extensive knowledge of FTZ and GTM, Eric is a gifted speaker and writer, having served as a panel moderator, webinar leader, panelist, presenter and blog contributor on numerous occasions. He holds a B.S. in financial management and an M.B.A. from Clemson University.

What do you believe are the key challenges Questaweb’s customers and their supply chains will face in 2019?

Eric – In 2019, the key challenge our customers and their supply chains will face is uncertainty. Supply chains have many inflection points where any unplanned event can have cascading effects: natural disasters, labor disputes, regulatory surprises and variability in resource prices (e.g. an increase in the cost of aluminum imports) can change the price of a landed good overnight. When the price of materials used in the production of other goods goes up, like steel and aluminum because of recent tariffs, it affects the landed cost of goods in a major way. Not only that, but every product that uses those materials sees an associated price increase. When clients don’t predict and compensate for cost spikes, they have two choices: absorb the difference, or pass those price increases onto their consumers – neither of which is very appealing.

How is Questaweb working with its customers to meet these challenges?

Eric – Import and compliance teams are now being asked by executives to help with decisions based on sourcing, cost and risk analysis. However, these teams don’t have the necessary tools to provide these answers. For instance, the U.S. subsidiary of a $6 billion multinational electronics and electrical equipment company imported products from its Japanese headquarters using manual processes. Beyond the inefficiencies of using paper documentation and having brokers manually key data, the post-import reconciliation of broker documents for correctness and compliance was labor intensive. QuestaWeb’s Global Trade Management tool has allowed this client to project logistics costs, duties, fees and taxes, while ensuring adherence to compliance regulations and reducing exposure to fines and penalties.

How can a supply chain better align with a company’s broader strategy?

Eric – All companies are in business to make money. When a company experiences a 25 percent increase in its cost, it has entirely lost its margins. For this reason, it is important for a company to make decisions early on in the supply chain. Early and effective supply chain management enables companies to track the movement of the raw materials needed to create products, optimize inventory levels to reduce costs and synchronize supply with customer demand. Furthermore, supply chain management enables companies to maintain visibility over their logistics to ensure availability of materials and delivery of products to customers.